DAMMAM — Dammam University students were in for a surprise when two lecturers made them watch video clips instead of delivering lectures, local daily Alyaum reported Monday. The lecturers streamed videos of Colombian singer Shakira and famous British character Mr. Bean supposedly as part of the subjects they were teaching. “A teacher played a video clip of Shakira and started commenting on it instead of delivering his main lecture,” said a student. He said he was surprised by the complete absence of the college administrators who failed to closely watch what was going on inside the lecture halls. He said another lecturer played a silent film of Mr. Bean during an English-language learning class. “How can a silent movie teach us the English language?” he asked. Ibrahim Al-Khalidi, the university's director of public relations and information, said it was not unusual to play YouTube clips as part of the education process in the university. But these should only be shown with the approval of the college dean, he added. Al-Khalidi said if the claims were proved to be truthful, the two lecturers would be punished according to the university's rules and regulations. — SG
